No Fear!

John Piper

John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Reading the Bible Supernaturally.

John Piper

John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Reading the Bible Supernaturally.

Today is Friday the 13th. How should Christians respond to the fear of bad luck today? National Geographic News reports: “It's been estimated that [U.S.] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do.”

Consider two biblical truths in relation to this kind of fear.

1. God governs the lives of his children—not fate and not the devil.

One in-your-face example from the life of Jesus: “At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ And he said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox, “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course”’” (Luke 13:31-32). In other words, sly as he is as a fox, and powerful as he is as king, Herod can’t trap me till it is my Father’s time for me to be trapped. My father rules my life.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)

2. God lets no curse against his people stick.

Remember Balaam. King Balak hired him to curse God’s people. It backfired. God commanded the opposite. Here’s what Balaam said to Balak:

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? 20 Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. . . For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, 'What has God wrought!' (Numbers 23:19-23)

The bottom line answer to the superstitious is: There is no divination against Israel. So go out today, Friday the 13th, find a black cat and cross her path, find a ladder and walk under it, and open your mouth and tell of the triumphs of the Lord.